World peace

The World Peace Conference was inaugurated in the morning of 4 February, 1974 by the Defence Minister Sri Jagjivan Ram. Afterwards Sant Kirpal Singh gave the following talk:

This is a gathering for peace and we have here heads of many religious formations and our worthy defence minister, to think out ways of peace. After the speech of the defence minister there is not much left to say on the subject. I have only this to say that God made man the roof and crown of all creation. Next to God is man, the scriptures proclaim:

Sarb joon teri panhari, Sarb mein teri Sikdari. (Gurbani) 'O man, thou art the highest in all creation, the whole world is created for thy service.’

But first he has to become in the true sense of the world. We are all born the same way, endowed with the same privileges from God and have the same inner and outer construction. Man is, however, a composite being, a conscious entity, having a body.

What is the meaning of man? One who is overflowing with love and compassion; who knows himself and knows God. He loves God and since God resides in all hearts he loves all creation. God is love, and man, who is of the same essence as God is an embodiment of love. One who gives out the Godly radiation of love may truly be called a man. The outer labels of the various formations that we are carrying are all right. The real purpose of all formations or social bodies is to turn out perfect men who as man-body should reflect the glory of man and as soul, the indweller of the body, the glory of God. He should realise his true self of being God plus man i.e. Godman and as such be an embodiment of love. And love knows service and sacrifice, so he should think of the good of others and not of his own interest.

So the ideal of manhood is that he should be a brother unto all creation. He should earn his livelihood by honest toil and share with others. If we have such Pak (pure) people in large numbers the world will become Pakistan (i.e. the land of the pure) and if we have a preponderance of khalis (pure) people the world would become Khalistan (i.e. the land of Khalsaor the pure) and they may bring the Kingdom of God on earth.That country is good which has a larger number of such people. So man should live for others. He who will not let his brother man go hungry or naked thereby ensures his own fulfilment for God who resides in all hearts will surely provide for him.

The teaching of the Masters is given out both directly and indirectly, i.e. though parables. There is a beautiful parable in the puramas that God invited both the Devtas or angels and the Danvas or demons to dinner. When the food served God said, "You are welcome to enjoy the food subject to the condition that while eating you may not bend your hands." Now the Danvas who were slow witted and prone to act without reflection said, "God has insulted us, for how can one take food without bending his hands?" And they walked out in protest. But the Devats pondered over it for the suggestion had come from God and there must be some reason for it. After some time they understood the purpose behind the seemingly strange condition and started to feed each other and in this way all were fed without bending their hands. Kabir stresses the same point. He says, "So long as you live in the man-body give, give, give. When you leave the body who will come to you to ask for anything?"

It is a blessing to be born in a social formation but the real purpose of joining a social formation was to rise above it into universality. If you do not achieve this purpose it is no use merely carrying the label of one or the other formation. The celebrated poet Iqbal (Sir Muhammed Iqbal) says in a couplet that Moses went to Mount Sinai in search of God. Did he not know that God was himself searching for man? (i.e. a perfect man). All mankind is one. They should all be good and be one. Live and let live should be their motto."